Checking the thickness of brake linings (VW Polo 4)

Special tool required:

• Pocket flashlight and mirror.
• Calipers.

Prerequisite for verification

Note: Experience shows that due to the larger amount of abrasive particles at the edge of the roadway, the wear of the brake linings on the passenger side next to the driver is somewhat greater than on the driver side. Therefore, it is advisable to perform the check at the wheel on the passenger side next to the driver.

Safety instructions

There is a risk of accident when lifting the vehicle! Please read the section "Lifting the vehicle" beforehand.

Mark the direction of rotation on the tire with an arrow. Loosen the wheel bolts. Raise the vehicle onto jack stands and remove the wheels. Caution: Be sure to read the instructions in the chapter "Removing and installing a wheel".

Front disc brake mechanism:

Measure the thickness of the pad "a" using a caliper, including the thickness of the metal support plate.
The brake pads of the front disc brakes have reached the wear limit if the thickness "a" of at least one of them, taking into account the thickness of the metal carrier plate, is only 7.0 mm. In this case, all four brake pads of the front axle replace.



Ensure the previous direction of rotation of the tires, tighten the wheels with bolts, lower the car and only then tighten the wheel bolts in a crosswise manner with a torque of 120 Nm.

Attention: Strictly follow the instructions given in the chapter "Removal and installation a wheel".

Note: Approximately 1 mm of wear of the lining thickness corresponds to a vehicle mileage of at least 1000 km. This estimate is valid under unfavorable conditions. Usually, brake linings last much longer. Thus, with a disc brake pad thickness of 10.0 mm (taking into account the thickness of the metal carrier board) the remaining service life of the brake linings will correspond to a vehicle mileage of at least 3,000 km.

Rear wheel disc brake mechanism:

Check the thickness of the outer brake lining through the opening in the disc wheel, using a flashlight if necessary. There is no need to remove the wheel. If present, remove the wheel cap.

Check the thickness of the inner lining using a flashlight and a mirror.

The rear disc brake pads have reached the wear limit if the thickness "a" of at least one of them, taking into account the thickness of the metal carrier plate, is only 7.0 mm.

Rear wheel drum brake mechanism:

[The original article is available at www.VWManual.ru]

Remove the plug from the rear brake shield and shine the "cut in the picture" flashlight into the hole. Brake linings have reached the wear limit if the thickness "a" of at least one of them, without taking into account the thickness of the metal carrier plate, is only 2.5 mm.



If in doubt, remove the brake drum and measure the thickness of the lining.

When checking the thickness of the pads, make sure that there is no brake fluid or oil on them. If such contamination is detected, the brake pads must be replaced immediately.